Police and community leaders are today appealing for calm following the attack at the building in Elswick, Newcastle, on Monday night.

Local Muslims, currently celebrating their holy month of Ramadan, were stunned when their evening prayers were disrupted by a gang of youths who burst into the mosque, throwing chairs and shouting racist abuse.

A broken table leg and a scaffolding bar were found in the mosque’s grounds, and witnesses said youths were shouting racial abuse and were throwing things at the mosque.

However, no one was injured in the attack.

After two teenagers were arrested and questioned on suspicion of affray, members of the Islamic community vowed to work with police to quell any bad feeling and continue to live peacefully with their neighbours.

Elswick councillor Dipu Ahad said the incident had left the community shocked.

But he believes it is the work of a young minority and most Elswick residents live in harmony.

“There was a group of youngsters causing chaos in the mosque,” he explained. “Everybody is fine. They are just worried..

“People in Elswick live in harmony with their neighbours.

“This is a very small minority and the majority of people don’t want to break that harmony.

“These are young people, between the age of 10 and 15 and we want to work with them and make sure they don’t do that again.”

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: “Two teenagers have been arrested following a disturbance outside the Malvern Street Mosque, Newcastle.

“At 10.34pm on Sunday, August 7, police received a report of a disturbance. Officers attended the scene and two male youths, aged 16 and 18 were arrested on suspicion of affray.”

Police say they believe the attack was an isolated incident.

However, patrols have been stepped up to reassure residents.

Temporary Neighbourhood Inspector Pinner Rana, of the force’s Benwell and Elswick neighbourhood policing team, said: “This was an isolated incident, which we are continuing to investigate. We're determined to get to the bottom of what happened and if necessary will make further arrests. “Reassurance patrols are in place in the area.

“We will take firm and positive action against anyone responsible for this sort of behaviour.”